Traffic posts are located alongside roadways to help guide traffic along the road, particularly at night when reflectors mounted on the posts indicate the path the road takes into the distance. These posts have traditionally been constructed of a square timber cross section and have been installed by driving them into the ground, or by securing them in bore holes dug into the ground with cement if required The posts are arranged at regular intervals along the roadway, particularly in country areas. Galvanised steel extrusions are also commonly used as traffic guide posts and are rigidly secured to the ground in a similar manner.
Traffic posts are also used to carry traffic signs (e.g. give way, speed limit and street signs) and are typically located either beside the roadway or on a median strip or roundabout. These traffic posts are commonly manufactured from extruded tubular or channel galvanised steel sections and are also rigidly secured either as above or by fastening the posts to a concrete surface by means of a flat base
When a vehicle strays from the roadway and impacts a traffic post, a large impact force and moment about the base of the post result. The post is then typically damaged irreparably and/or uprooted from its rigid mounting, thereby contributing to excessive repair and replacement expenses. The impact force may also cause considerable and costly damage to the impacting vehicle as well as injury to the occupants travelling therein.
Whilst various forms of flexible posts have been proposed, the known posts typically suffer from various setbacks including difficulty in installing, poor performance in returning to the upright position after impact and excessive costs associated with complicated hinge structures.